It is believed by some, Nagamine included, that tegumi was probably the original form of fighting in Okinawa and, after incorporating striking and kicking techniques imported from China, became the progenitor of Te, which is the foundation of modern karate.
[1] According to Gichin Funakoshi's autobiography, early students of karate benefitted from experience in tegumi growing up, which gave them the fundamentals of fighting.
[2] Known as tegumi in Naha, and mutō in Tomari and Shuri, Okinawan wrestling remained a popular cultural recreation until the Taishō period (1912 – 1925).
There is little evidence of how tegumi evolved but the result was a rough and tumble bout where the winner was decided by submission, through joint locks, strangles or pinning.
Okinawan folklore is full of references to tegumi and it is believed that the island's version of sumo can find its roots in the rural wrestling of the past.